Eve Rituals
by NataliaBoaVista
Summary: Our CSI's think about their past while going through their Christmas Eve rituals.


**I really wanted to write something for Christmas, but I couldn't think of anything. So I made requirements for myself. I find it easier to make up something if I have stuff to work with.**

**So my requirements - for myself - were:**

**A Christmas tree  
Church  
A cemetery and/or a headstone  
A party  
and someone must receive a gift.**

**A/N: First of all, this is more like what I think about the past and present of our CSI's lives. It's all made up and as far as I know none of it has been discussed on the show. I have no idea where Ryan is really from or how he was raised. Sometimes I get my Ryan Wolfe and Jonathan Togo facts mixed up, so if you see something in there and think "that's the actor not the character" that's why. Secondly, I'm not sure if Natalia's parents have ever been mentioned in the show. I'm only saying this because if they have been mentioned _my _interpretation of them is way different. And lastly, I wasn't a fan of Miami until after Speed, and I haven't seen all of the season 1 and 2 episodes with him in it, so I used some of the most known Speed quotes and quirks in here. Enjoy.**

_____

Alexx Woods watched as her husband placed the star upon the Christmas tree. Horatio sat nearby, smiling to himself, Jamie - Alexx's daughter - on his lap. Bryan, her son, was standing near his father watching as well. It had been their tradition. Every year Alexx would invite Horatio over for Christmas. He didn't have any family, he wasn't married and he didn't have kids. He was closest to Alexx than to anyone else on his team, and besides, they were all younger, had their own lives and places to be on Christmas. He doubted they would want their boss over for Christmas. But Alexx wasn't just an employee, she was a friend. So he would join Alexx and her family on Christmas Eve, and then come over again on Christmas morning to watch as her children opened their gifts, squealing with delight at everything they received. Usually he, Alexx, and her husband would exchange a few gifts, but he didn't mind if he didn't receive anything. He enjoyed seeing the children so happy over _their_ gifts. Then of course they would share dinner, and when it was all over he would head home, glad he was able to share the day with someone he cared about.

Tonight they had all decorated the Christmas tree, a giant one. Alexx had always insisted on getting the biggest, nicest Christmas tree on the lot where they bought theirs. Horatio was never there when they picked it out, but her husband had told him all about her very specific Christmas tree requirements. When they got it home they'd set it up and wait for 7 o' clock to roll around, their traditional time to start the decorating, and for Horatio to show up. The first few years Alexx had invited him to join them, but now it was a given thing, it was automatic. Even her kids had taken to calling him Horatio or "H" after they had overheard Alexx call him that one day.

"There, all finished!" Alexx's husband said from the step ladder he was standing on in order to be able to reach the top of the tree.

Jamie and Bryan both grinned like it was the best thing in the world. They hugged their father when he had stepped down, then moved to Alexx and lastly to Horatio. Alexx rushed into the kitchen to check on something she had been cooking, and then came back a few minutes later. "Okay, who wants dinner?"

"We do!" Her kids yelled in unison, running for the dining room.

_____

Ryan Wolfe sat in a pew at the back of the church. Head down, listening to the minister say a prayer. He didn't really know why he went every year on Christmas Eve. He wasn't a religious man, but he found himself there every single year. He always went alone, even on the years he'd had a girlfriend to be with or was supposed to be with family. He _needed _to go. The Christmas Eve services were open to anyone who wanted to go. It brought him a sort of peace, gave him something to believe in, if only for a night.

Ryan and his sister were raised Catholic by their father, so being at church wasn't something he was unused to. But growing up and during his years in university he'd formed his own opinion on the subject. When he'd moved out of his parents house all the way to Miami, and after getting a job in patrol with the MDPD he just sort of drifted away from it all. But every year he continued to visit on Christmas Eve. He thought maybe it did have something to do with how he was raised. He remembered his father being slightly disappointed when Ryan had told him a few years back that he didn't go anymore, he was far too busy and besides, at this point in his life he wasn't sure what he believed. His father had told him he knew moving to Miami wasn't a good idea. He said he knew it would change Ryan. And it did, Ryan had to admit. Miami had a certain air about it. It made you want to do things differently. He remembered plenty of cases involving young girls from out of state who were perfect young women until they took a trip to Miami. They'd come and do things they would never do at home. Ryan knew it was Miami that had changed him, but he thought it was a good change. When his father let him know what he thought about Ryan now that he was gone, Ryan made an unconscious decision to go to church, at least a few times a year, when he had time. But a few times turned into one time; Christmas Eve. He knew his dad was probably sitting at home in New York, thinking that Ryan had quit it completely. He didn't care though, as long as _he_ knew he was going, if only for one day of the whole year, he was happy.

_____

Natalia pushed her way through the crowd. She didn't understand why her parents dragged her home for their stupid annual Christmas party. Surely everyone at the party – and herself especially – had better things to be doing on Christmas Eve? _Well, apparently not,_ she thought to herself as she smiled at friends of her parents whom she'd never met before. She never would have told any of her employees of her parents' social status. In fact, she was surprised when none of them said anything about her last name when they met a few years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Boa Vista were in fact, very rich, and very well known. She recalled the day she'd met Ryan at a crime scene, accidently letting slip that she only lived a street over. He'd asked her how she could afford to live in such a nice neighbourhood. She had said, long story. She thought he had let it go, and then when she was found out as the mole in the lab (or so they thought, at the time) she figured that he had assumed she had been living there because of her connections with the feds. Well everyone was wrong on all accounts, not that they needed to know that.

Natalia loved her parents, of course, but they missed the whole point behind Christmas. She wasn't fond of coming to the party every year, but she and her sisters were dragged there every year for people to "ooo" and "aah" over like they were something really special. Her parents bought things left right and center, for themselves or their other rich friends, not giving a care in the world about the people who didn't have all that _they_ did. Natalia was a CSI. She'd seen the bad side of Miami; she'd seen the people in real need of help. Sure her parents were giving, but giving to someone who doesn't need to be given to wasn't something she enjoyed. Especially as it wasn't helping anyone. She wished they'd use their money in more useful ways, but she really had no power over what her parents did and her sisters couldn't love anything more than the things their parents were able to buy for them. She was alone on this, but she knew if she ever inherited any of her parents' money, just what it would be used for.

She continued down the hall of the huge house in search of someone she knew. She couldn't wait to be home alone, celebrating Christmas Eve in her own way, in her own home.

_____

_Timothy Speedle  
Beloved Son & Friend  
1973 – 2004_

"Hey buddy. Figured you could use some company tonight. I hope things are going well for you up there. No toilets to swab or bodily fluids in hotel rooms' to process right?" Eric Delko smiled at the memory of his friend, complaining about a toilet there was evidence in, and explaining how disgusting hotel rooms were. He stood up in front of the headstone and wiped his eyes. He wasn't crying, but tears wanted to spill over so badly that he wiped his eyes in case some had and he didn't notice. He missed Speed, more than anyone could imagine. Especially around the holidays. Speed had always complained _so _much about the holiday season. He couldn't stand it. He had hated the shopping, the gift giving, the music, and well, just the whole season in general. Eric had always laughed at him or rolled his eyes, even trying to invite Speed over for Christmas dinner with his family, but he had always said the same thing:

_"Eric, you're one of my best friends and all, but no way. Besides I can have your moms great cooking any other time. I'm up for a guy's night out though!"_

They would always end up going out early for a beer or two, making sure they both agreed it was a normal guy's night out, no Christmas involved whatsoever. Eric missed Speedle's complaining, his rejections for Christmas dinner, and the fact that he made Eric vow he wouldn't talk about his plans for the holiday season once, the whole night they were out. He missed everything about him.

"Eric?" A quiet voice said from behind. Eric had been lost in his memories, and now there were tears staining his cheeks. He didn't care right now. He turned around to face the person talking to him, knowing by the voice who it was.

"Hey, Cal," he smiled at her, knowing she understood why he was there and why he was crying.

"You came to visit him too?" she said, referring to Tim.

Eric nodded. "Every Christmas Eve. I always have, every year since the year he died. What are you doing here tonight? Shouldn't you be with you Dad?"

"I just left his place. I wanted to stop by here. What about you?"

Eric shrugged. "My family waits until Christmas day to do anything special. So this is what I do. I come and visit Speed."

Calleigh nodded and stood beside him, her lips were pressed together in a thin line on her face. "I brought this," she held out a small package, wrapped in Christmas paper.

"What is it?"

"It's for Speed," she smiled. "You open it."

Eric tore the paper carefully away from what it was covering. He stared down at a package of four AA batteries. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Calleigh. "Batteries?"

She chuckled. "I knew you wouldn't get it. He used to use my flashlight all the time. Steal it from my kit, and when I needed it the batteries would be dead. I just want him to know I still remember," she said it while looking down, not showing her face. Eric noticed.

"I miss him too Calleigh, I miss him a lot." She looked up, tears in her eyes this time. Eric put his arm over her shoulder and she turned into him. She wasn't sobbing, but he could feel her shaking as she let her tears fall. He waited; he let her cry it all out.

"Oh, I'm sorry Eric. Your shirts all wet now," she said when she was finally finished.

He shrugged. "It'll dry. Hey, it's still early; do you want to get dinner or something? I haven't eaten yet and I'm starving, and we're both here. In memory of Speed?"

Calleigh nodded. "Sure, I think I'd like that."

Eric placed the odd present from Calleigh in front of Speedle's headstone and covered some if it with dirt so it was less noticeable to passersby. He smiled to himself. "We all love and miss you, bud. Have a nice Christmas up there. I bet you don't hate it now."

______

**Hope you enjoyed if you read. I love reviews. :)**


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